2.-EtherCAT-vs.-Profinet

InOctober2013adocumentlistingtheTechnicalandeditorialChangesofthePROFINETspecsIEC61158-5-10,61158-6-10,61784-2waspublished.Itcontainsalonglistofchanges,butnodetails.Thereareeven3completelydifferentSiemensImplementationsofPROFINETIO.PROFINETremainsamovingtarget…Interestingenough,SiemenshasalsodevelopedanotherEthernetbasedmotioncontrolnetwork:Drive-CLiQ.Drive-CLiQisusedtoconnecttheSinamicsmotioncontrollercontainingthepathplanningalgorithm(trajectorycontroller)withthedrives,thepositionsensors(encoders,tachometers,resolver)andalsowithterminalmodules(HMI).PROFINETIRTandProfibusareusedtonetworkandsynchronizeseveralsuchmotioncontrollers–soprimarilyforcontroller/controllercommunication.EndofNovember2010SiemensannouncedthattheyareisnowevenopeningDrive-CLiQtofeedbacksensormanufacturerswhoareinvitedtoimplementthisinterfaceintheirencoders,resolvers,tachometersandlinearpositionsensors.Siemensalsoprovidesaspecialchipforthatpurpose.GiventhatthefirstversionofPROFINETwasintroducedover12yearsago,andthatitispromotedbythemarketleadingautomationgiant,theadoptionrateofPROFINETispoor.AsofFebruary2014,therearestillveryfewnon-SiemensPROFINETmasters–inparticularnon-SiemensIRT-mastersaredifficulttofind.Also,thereareveryfewknownnon-SiemensIRTdrives,andiftheysupportIRT,theusagecanbeverylimited.E.g.theKEBF5drivesupportsIRT,butonlyat2000µscycletime(notshorter).ThePROFINETNodeCounthasaveryhighSiemensshare,butmostofthenodesarethelowcostS71200controllers,whichhardlyusePROFINET.29303132